Seaside Embrace (Love in Bloom Page 24
“Yes, a doorknob for a coded entrance. No key necessary. I want to come home to you every night and eat you for breakfast every morning.”
She felt her cheeks heat up as he aligned their bodies from head to toe, causing the rest of her to heat up, too.
“You can dance as dirty as you want, as long as the only body yours physically touches is mine.” The restraint in his voice told her how difficult that was for him to say. “I’ll be your bodyguard when you’re in the zone and your lover when we’re home. I can’t promise I won’t be a Neanderthal sometimes, but I can promise you that even if you need to take ten steps backward for every step forward, I will be here waiting when you’re ready.”
“But you won the competition.” Oh God, this is too hard. She forced herself to continue, though her voice was barely above a whisper. “And you’re going to LA, and traveling. I won’t hold you back from that.”
His eyes warmed. “How did you know I won?”
“I…” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “I was there. I didn’t want to miss it…and…and I heard—” She couldn’t manage another word. It hurt too bad.
“Jana, I won the competition because of you.” His smile widened. “But going to LA and traveling was never part of the plan. I would never leave you.”
“But—”
He brushed his lips over hers and whispered, “Do you ever stop arguing? Grayson can travel. You’re the only thing I want to win, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to show you just how much I want you. Lord knows you’ll test me in every way known to man. I’m not leaving you, Jana. Not now, not six months from now, not ever. No matter how many obstacles you put in our way.”
“But I don’t want the doorknob,” she confessed through more tears. “I want you to have the key.”
“God, I love you.” He sealed his lips over hers and she pushed at his chest.
“What, pretty girl? What could you possibly have to say now?” The fierceness in his voice rivaled the desire in his eyes, making what she was about to say even more important.
“Just…” She paused to gain control of her emotions. She didn’t want to leave anything out. “Thank you for loving me for who I am. Thank you for loving me through my insecurities and helping me put my ghosts to rest. I want you, Hunter. Only you. I love you.” His loving smile pulled more tears as she said, “I don’t want just the opening act. I want the main event, the encore, and a standing ovation.”
She saw a question fill his eyes and said, “Don’t ask. Just kiss me already.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
JANA STOOD ON the front stoop of her studio with a silk tie covering her eyes—the tie Hunter had used to bind her wrists the night before. She’d been surprised when he’d confessed that he’d changed into his suit, showered, shaved, and put on cologne to see her last night, after the celebratory dinner he had attended. And after they’d talked, they’d made love well into the morning. Clark was right; there was a world of difference between making love to a woman you adored and having sex.
Hunter stood behind Jana now, guiding her by the shoulders. When Jana had said she loved him, he felt like the luckiest guy on earth. He knew their relationship would probably always have its ups and downs. They were both stubborn, after all. He didn’t claim to have all the answers, but he had the only answer that mattered. He loved Jana, and he vowed to spend the rest of her life making her happy.
“Just promise me that if you don’t like what I’ve done, you’ll tell me.”
She laughed. “Has that ever been a problem for me? Just because you have me blindfolded doesn’t mean my mouth doesn’t work.”
“Christ, you do have a smart mouth.”
“You love my smart mouth.”
He moved in front of her and pulled her body against him. Her nipples instantly hardened against his chest. He couldn’t resist brushing his scruffy cheek to the sensitive skin just beneath her ear.
“Hunter…” Her needy voice sent a rush of heat straight to his groin.
He sank his teeth into her neck and wrapped his arm around her waist, catching her as her knees wobbled. “You look so tempting, blindfolded and wearing that slinky little miniskirt and tight frilly top. I can’t believe you’re mine. Tell me again.” He’d been teasing her all morning about finally admitting she wanted him.
She sighed dramatically. He could practically see her rolling her eyes. “Hunter Lacroux, I want you.”
He ran a hand along her waist, over her rib cage, and brushed the sides of her breasts. “Tell me like you mean it,” he teased.
“Why would I do that?”
He tore the blindfold off, and her eyes blazed with desire.
“Because you mean it.” He tugged her tighter against him.
“Maybe so, but this is so much more fun.” She raised her brows with a sexy giggle. “Now kiss me or fuck me, but stop this teasing nonsense.”
“Christ, you’re a pain in the ass. I’ll do everything to you, but first…” He pushed open the door of the studio, and Jana gasped as they stepped inside.
“Hunter! This is gorgeous!” She launched herself into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. “How about we check out the cunnilingus kitchen?” A pretty blush rose on her cheeks.
He carried her through the hallway that led to the kitchen. “There’s a fee for entrance now.”
“Let me guess. Does it start with a six and end with a nine?”
“From your lips to my ears.”
She slanted her mouth over his as he pushed through the kitchen doors. They were met with cheers of “surprise” and “congratulations” from all their friends and family. Harper, Brock, and Colton were front and center, beside Clark, who was holding little Billy in one arm, his other draped around Nina. Blue and Lizzie were standing arm in arm beside Bella and the girls and all their babies and husbands. Everyone was smiling and laughing and moving in for hugs.
Jana looked at him with wonder and love in her eyes, and that alone nearly brought him to his knees. Jana was finally his. Really, truly his, one hundred percent his. “How did you arrange all this?”
“Don’t you get it yet, pretty girl? There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
—Thanks for reading! Ready for more?—
Get your next Seaside Summers fix!
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After months of long-distance communication, actress Parker Collins and artist Grayson Lacroux finally plan to reconnect in the seaside town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. But Parker never shows, and weeks pass without a word, leaving Grayson to believe he’s misinterpreted their budding relationship.
Parker has been running on autopilot ever since she lost her friend, mentor, and the only family she’s ever known, Bert Stein. Armed with junk food, tequila, and her big, lovable dog, she’s prepared to hole up and mourn—and determined to mend a fence Bert had never been able to with his estranged and bitter brother. But Parker didn’t count on the sinfully hot artist she’s been fantasizing about for nearly a year walking in on her grief-induced drunken night.
When Grayson stumbles across Parker, he has no idea what to make of the gorgeous blonde who blew him off despite the heat sizzling between them. But that doesn’t stop him from feeling protective of the woman who’s consumed his thoughts for months, and when he learns of Parker’s plans to confront an angry old man, he refuses to leave her side. As Parker’s past unfolds, they’re led on an unexpected journey of discovery. Their connection deepens, and late-night fantasies become passionate realities, until good intentions spark painful secrets, threatening the love they’ve found.
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Please enjoy this preview of
CLAIMED BY LOVE (The Ryders)
Claimed by Love Excerpt - Chapter One
DUKE RYDER BALANCED his cell phone against his shoulder, listening to his buddy and investment partner Pierce Braden talk about their newest potential investment property as he followed the rickety wooden dock onto the white sandy beach.
“The dock just might be the most stable thing on Elpitha Island,” Pierce said. “Try to soak in a little sand and sun while you’re there. That’s the best part of the island.”
Duke’s eyes were immediately drawn to the sprawling oak trees he’d read about, standing sentinel over the forested acreage beyond. Long, thick branches spread like languid arms draped in moss, reaching for…what? One glance told him that there wasn’t much to reach for, save for a building that looked more like a forgotten Mediterranean villa than the welcome center of the small Southern island. The stone and wood building had a deep porch that spanned the entire length of the left side with stone pillars. A wooden trellis laced with the most captivating flowering vines shaded the area. Although the structure itself was in need of repair, it was surrounded by perfectly manicured, ornate gardens, which contrasted sharply with overgrown and unkempt bushes littering the far edges of the property.
“The proximity to the mainland isn’t bad,” Duke said to Pierce. He set his suitcase on the sand and looked back at the Atlantic. “It only took an hour fifteen to get here.” Elpitha was the smallest of the vacation islands off of South Carolina, and more than half of the land had been owned by the Liakos family for centuries. It was just over eight square miles, and not many investors wanted such a small tract of land, or to deal with families that were as entrenched as the Liakos family was thought to be. Some families might sell out, but they would fight tooth and nail against change, which could cause discourse on an island this small. Duke and Pierce weren’t deterred. The restrictive size of the property would only increase the value, making it an exclusive vacation spot for the elite.
“With Hilton Head and the other islands so overrun,” Pierce said, “Elpitha is ripe for development. Although we’ll have to work around that name. Who wants to go to an island called Elpitha? It sounds more like a disease than an island.”
Duke squinted up at the blazing sun and loosened his tie. “I don’t know. I kind of like it.” He noticed a plantation-style home tucked behind the trees in the distance. “They weren’t kidding about the strange mix of Mediterranean and Southern feel of the place. This should be interesting.” Duke knew some of the island’s history, and though he still didn’t understand why Greeks would immigrate to the South and try to re-create their country’s feel, it didn’t much matter. If he and Pierce decided to purchase the land, they would bulldoze every structure and give the island a complete Southern overhaul, making it the most desirable resort area in the South.
“Chuck called earlier and said Liakos’s granddaughter Gabriella is an attorney,” Pierce explained. “He thinks they might bring her in on things. Apparently their family keeps things tight. So if you meet her, play nice.”
The hollow clank of a screen door hitting its frame drew Duke’s attention. A woman stood on the porch of the old building, shading her eyes from the sun as she looked out at the water. Her long dark hair hung halfway down her back. Duke was too far away to see her features, but there was no missing her curvaceous ass and full breasts, not to mention legs that seemed to go on forever beneath her short summery dress. Duke watched with interest as he listened to Pierce relay the most recent information from the attorneys and engineers.
The woman glanced at her watch, then settled her hand on her hip. A voice rang out from inside the building, and the pretty woman hurried back inside.
“I just found proof of life,” he said to Pierce as he stepped onto the sandy path. “I’ll call you once I’ve done some recon.”
His black leather shoes quickly lost their shine from the dusty road as he approached the building. Voices filtered out the open windows as he mounted the steps. He glanced through the screen door, spotting the brunette he’d just seen. She was facing away from him, speaking heatedly in Greek, hands flailing as her exasperated voice pitched higher.
A thick-waisted man with salt-and-pepper hair sat at a table near the counter, amusement shining in his dark eyes as the brunette ranted to an older woman, and then the man said something Duke couldn’t hear.
“Ugh! Baba!” The younger woman threw her hands up in the air and flew out the screen door, nearly smacking Duke in the face.
He stumbled backward, giving the angry woman a wide breadth as she paced the front porch. She mumbled something in Greek and then crossed her arms, raised her shoulders, and dropped them quickly with a loud harrumph. Duke couldn’t help but drink in the flush on her smooth, sun-kissed cheeks. Her nose was small and straight, and her almond-shaped, dark—and currently angry—eyes were shadowed by lashes so long they brushed her cheeks.
Having grown up with a younger sister, Duke bided his time in announcing his presence, not wanting to take the brunt of her reaction to whatever the man had said to upset her.
She inhaled a deep breath, her breasts rising and pressing against the sheer fabric, then falling as she exhaled loudly. Her shoulders lowered, and the tightness around her mouth softened. She turned a full-lipped, mind-numbing smile to Duke, as if she hadn’t just come out in a firestorm.
“My father believes that no matter what he says, I hear something else.” She tilted her head to the side in a thoughtful pose, and in the space of a second her eyes filled with rebellion, making her even sexier. “Hearing and agreeing are two different things.”
Duke wondered what her father had just said that got her panties in a bunch. Christ. Now he was thinking about her panties.
“I’m Gabriella Liakos. Welcome to Elpitha Island.”
The granddaughter? Playing nice would not be a problem with this feisty beauty. Duke shook her hand, holding it a beat longer than he probably should, still mesmerized by the whirlwind of energy radiating from her. “Duke Ryder. It’s nice to meet you. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“No one intrudes on Elpitha,” she said sweetly.
Duke shifted his eyes to the screen door, and she laughed softly. It was the rare type of laugh that floated like the wind and wasn’t easily forgotten.
“We’re Greek,” she said with a shrug, as if that explained it all.
He arched a brow.
“When you combine a Greek father and a Southern mother, who learned all the best Greek ways, that’s what you get. Food, yelling, guilt, more food. Sweet love. Crazy love. More food. That’s who we are.” She dragged her gorgeous eyes down his suit to his shoes and put one hand on her hip as she had earlier, tapping her lips with the other.
Duke wouldn’t mind getting his mouth on those succulent lips for some crazy love.
“You’re the investor, checking out our island so you can line your pockets, right?”
He couldn’t tell if the look in her eyes was teasing or serious, but her sharp tongue piqued his interest even more. Duke respected confidence, and even though it wasn’t the greeting he’d hoped for, he liked knowing that Gabriella wasn’t a pushover.
“Something like that,” he answered casually.
As a real estate investor, Duke knew his clients were vulnerable and, more often than not, taking a deal they didn’t really care for because, by the time he swooped in to save the day, they had gotten a strong dose of what failure tasted like. A hard pill to swallow. Which was why Duke didn’t flinch as Gabriella measured everything about him, from his appearance to his answers. While other investors were cold as sharks, Duke had never quite mastered making ice flow through his veins. But he always got the job done.
Her eyes flicked toward the water, where another boat was nearing the dock. Her smiled turned genuine at the sight of a handful of children waving from the boat. She waved both arms over her head and yelled something in Greek, then settled her hands on her hips as she watched the
children file from the boat.
“It was nice to meet you, Gabriella,” Duke said, hoping he’d see her later. The island had a population of just over two hundred and fifty people, so he imagined it would be hard not to see the same people throughout his stay. “I’ll just step inside and see about my room and a tour.”
“Lucky you,” she said, turning a steady gaze back to him, “I’m your tour host.” She didn’t wait for him to reply as she opened the screen door and hollered something in Greek to the people inside. Over her shoulder, she said to Duke, “Give me a sec to get your keys and the cart, and I’ll show you around and drop you at your place.”
It took a moment for him to remember that they drove golf carts or used bicycles on the island and that cars were prohibited.
She hurried inside and headed directly to her Baba, which Duke now knew meant he was her father, and said something that made the man laugh. She leaned in to kiss and hug her father, and her dress crept up, exposing the backs of her thighs and hugging her ass. He tried to ignore the stroke of awareness racing through him. She walked around the counter and grabbed a set of keys from a hook, then draped an arm around the shoulders of the woman with whom she was speaking earlier.
“Mama,” Gabriella said to the woman. Her mother’s hair was a shade lighter than hers. “Talk some sense into him, will you, please?” She whispered something, then kissed her, too.
The woman wiped her hands on an apron and smiled at Duke, catching him observing them. “Welcome to our island, Mr. Ryder. I’m Peggy Ann, and this is my husband, Niko.”
Her warm Southern drawl took Duke by surprise after hearing her speak fluent Greek, and he realized it shouldn’t have. They were in the South, after all.
He stepped inside. “It’s a pleasure to be here, and to meet you both.”
Gabriella’s father nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Ryder.”